Minnesota

If Minnesota drivers need an added incentive to obey school bus stop arms, bus cameras can see license plates

Published

2 years ago

October 3, 2022

If Minnesota drivers need an added incentive to obey school bus stop arms, bus cameras can see license plates

KANDIYOHI

— Within the first month of the college yr, greater than a handful of drivers have gone round space faculty buses whereas the bus cease arms have been prolonged.

Statewide, the numbers are eye-popping. Annually, the state conducts a survey, asking bus drivers across the state to report the violations they see on a particular day. In 2022, 4,359 drivers reported 1,003 violations on that day, the best since 2015.

Many faculty buses within the space now have cameras on their cease arms, which suggests it’s changing into simpler to catch violators. The cameras seize clear photos and might learn license plates clearly as a driver pulls out to drive round a cease arm.

Penny Dahlberg, who serves because the Palmer Bus Service website supervisor for the Willmar group, reveals data relating to faculty bus legal guidelines on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Kandiyohi.

Macy Moore / West Central Tribune

“There’s no arguing it,” mentioned Penny Dahlberg, website supervisor for Palmer Bus Service, which has a storage in Kandiyohi for Willmar buses. Palmer is certainly one of two firms that transport Willmar college students, together with Willmar Bus Service.

School bus cameras 003.jpg — Palmer Bus Service website supervisor Penny Dahlberg opinions footage captured by video cameras on the outside of certainly one of their faculty buses on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Kandiyohi. The corporate’s storage for Willmar buses is situated in Kandiyohi.

The cease arm is prolonged when bus drivers cease to choose up or drop off college students. Whereas they attempt to keep away from having college students cross a highway, it will possibly’t at all times be averted.

Drivers who don’t cease might hit kids with a automobile, inflicting severe damage or dying.

“This can be a actual challenge for teenagers’ security,” mentioned John DuHoux, website supervisor at Palmer’s Clara Metropolis bus storage for MACCRAY Public Faculties.

State legislation requires drivers to cease no less than 20 ft from the entrance or again of a bus with its cease arm prolonged and crimson lights flashing. Purple flashing lights at all times imply drivers have to cease.

“Perhaps folks aren’t conscious” that they may very well be dealing with a $300 to $500 high-quality and a compulsory court docket look, DuHoux mentioned.

School bus cameras 001.jpg — John Molacek, Palmer Bus Service website supervisor for the New London storage which serves New London-Spicer Faculties, reveals Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Kandiyohi how the brand new cameras on their faculty buses work to seize crystal-clear photos of vehicles and license plates once they illegally move when bus cease arms are activated.

Lakeland Avenue is a bother spot in Willmar, Dahlberg mentioned, and Willmar is an enormous bother spot.

Drivers on Lakeland Drive appear to suppose they don’t must cease as a result of there’s a flip lane in the midst of the road, she mentioned, however they’re incorrect. Distracted drivers are an issue, too.

John Molacek, supervisor at Palmer’s New London storage which serves New London-Spicer Faculties, mentioned his drivers have seen 4 stop-arm violations within the first month of the college yr.

Two buses have been rear-ended by individuals who mentioned they have been blinded by the solar in latest weeks.

Willmar Public Faculties put in cease arm cameras on buses two years in the past. MACCRAY and New London-Spicer put in cameras extra just lately.

The Minnesota Division of Public Security has offered grants to put in cease arm cameras across the state.

School bus cameras 002.jpg — Cameras put in on Palmer Bus Service faculty buses seize in excessive definition the license plates of automobiles that illegally move when cease arms are engaged to drop off and choose up kids.

What frustrates the bus managers is listening to folks say they didn’t see a bus, as a result of faculty buses aren’t small and have a particular look.

“We’re on the identical spot, on the identical time, 5 days per week,” Dahlberg mentioned.

Their suggestion for individuals who change into pissed off following a bus is to journey or run errands at a special time of day if potential.

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Minnesota

Ilhan Omar faces a strong challenge while GOP choose Senate candidate in Minnesota primaries

Published

1 hour ago

August 12, 2024

Press Room

Ilhan Omar faces a strong challenge while GOP choose Senate candidate in Minnesota primaries

(The Center Square) – With Minnesota primaries Tuesday, there are a few key races to watch for.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar faces a rematch against former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels, who lost by 2.1% in the 2022 primary.

Republicans, meanwhile, are focused on picking a candidate too challenge incumbent US Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Omar was first elected in 2018, as the first Somali-American in Congress. Alongside Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, she is also the first Muslim-American woman in Congress.

While she defeated Samuels in 2022, their rematch is expected to be one of the closest watched races nationwide during this year’s primaries after two progressive “squad” members already lost their primaries — Cori Bush of St. Louis and Jamaal Bowman of New York.

In Minnesota primaries, voters can choose between a Democratic or Republican ballot.

Within the past week, Minnesota conservatives have encouraged voters on social media to pick the Democratic ballot to flip the primary.

Even Republican primary candidate, former NBA player Royce White, encouraged the plan.

“I will gladly give up 5,000 votes in the CD5 primary to accomplish this goal. Everywhere else in the state vote for Royce White for US Senate,” White wrote on X. “If you pull Democrat you can only vote Democrat for primary, that’s fine, we’ll see you in the general.”

White is the leading Republican candidate looking to defeat Democratic Klobuchar.

She is expected to win the Democratic nomination, while White received the state Republican party’s endorsement earlier in the year.

Some of White’s other notable endorsements include former Trump White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, who is serving four months in prison on contempt charges.

Klobuchar has served in the US Senate since 2007. In 2018, she won reelection with 60.3% of the vote.

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Minnesota

Tim Walz Signed Bill Requiring Tampons in Boys’ Bathrooms?

Published

8 hours ago

August 12, 2024

Press Room

Tim Walz Signed Bill Requiring Tampons in Boys’ Bathrooms?

Claim:

Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota governor Tim Walz signed a bill requiring schools to stock tampons in boys’ bathrooms.

Rating:

Context

Though the legislation did not specifically mention boys’ bathrooms, Tim Walz indeed signed a bill in 2023 that required Minnesota schools to stock free menstrual products in restrooms regularly used by students in grades four through 12. The language of the statute was gender neutral and therefore compelled schools to apply it to boys’ bathrooms used by transmasculine (trans boys and male-presenting) students, should the schools not provide gender-neutral bathrooms.

After Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris nominated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 election, rumors began circulating online that Walz had signed a law requiring Minnesotan schools to stock tampons in boys’ bathrooms (archived):

The claim appeared several times on X, Reddit, and Facebook. The posts had accumulated tens of thousands of views as of this writing and earned Walz the sarcastic moniker “Tampon Tim” (archived):

Menstrual Products for ‘Menstruating Students’

In 2023, Walz signed a school funding bill into law containing a provision that guaranteed access to free menstrual protection to Minnesota students from the fourth through the 12th grade. This legislation required all school districts and charter schools to stock menstrual products, and the language of the law was gender neutral. It read (emphasis ours):

A school district or charter school must provide students with access to menstrual products at no charge. The products must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12 according to a plan developed by the school district. For purposes of this section, “menstrual products” means pads, tampons, or other similar products used in connection with the menstrual cycle.

While the law did not specifically mention boys’ bathrooms, it also did not restrict the rule to female or girls’ bathrooms. Paired with the laws protecting children’s access to gender-affirming care, schools that do not provide gender-neutral restrooms would have to stock boys’ bathrooms with such products to allow transmasculine students — that is, students who are either trans boys or students born female whose gender expression is masculine — to access them. Therefore, the claim is true.

‘Tampon Tim’ Goes Viral

Megyn Kelly, the conservative television show and podcast host whom former U.S. President Donald Trump once attacked for having “blood coming out of her wherever,” embraced the monicker “Tampon Tim” as criticism of this and other of Walz’s policies (archived):

But in 2024, talk of menstruation was no longer taboo in the public and political sphere. Far from putting people off, the fact that Walz supported such a law was, to many, a demonstration of empathy and good judgment, including from former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (archived):

https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/1821189725849276644

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